Estimate History

What a planner means

Estimate History is the saved record of a P6 Professional top-down estimate. Oracle: after you develop a top-down estimate, save it for later reference or use, or apply it to the project. P6 Professional also maintains a history of saved top-down estimations. Tools → Top Down Estimation → History. In the Estimation History dialog, select an estimate and Apply. Privilege: Add/Edit Activities Except Relationships.

Top-Down Estimation applies labor, nonlabor, and/or material resource units to activities in a top-down manner using assigned weights. You must first assign estimation weights to WBS elements and activities. You can limit the scope by WBS element and resource. Material resources must be selected individually because their units of measure may differ.

Two methods (Oracle):

• Prior Experience — type the estimate in Estimated Units (from similar projects).
• Function Point — for an information technology project. Enter or calculate Unadjusted Function Point Count (UFP) from low/average/high complexity files and transactions. Enter or calculate Total Degree of Influence (TDI) from system characteristics (0 = no influence, 5 = strongest). Type average productivity (function points/person month).

Oracle Function Point formulas:

• Value Adjustment Factor (VAF) = 0.65 + (0.01 × TDI)
• Final Adjusted Function Point Count = UFP × VAF
• Estimated Units = Final Adjusted Function Point Count × Average Productivity

Apply adjustment adds a typed percentage to Estimated Units. Oracle example: 400.00h with 50% → add 200.00h; Adjusted Units = 600.00h.

Save As saves the estimate without applying it (name plus assumptions and notes). Apply distributes the total units to the selected activities using the estimated weights on WBS elements and activities. Those weights calculate the proportion of resource units each WBS element and activity should receive. Applied estimates update remaining labor/nonlabor units for activities that are not started or in progress, and activity resource assignments in scope. Activities with remaining units equal to zero are not affected. Top-down estimations do not affect project expenses.

Estimation History dialog (Oracle field text):

• General: Estimate Name; Method; WBS; Resource (filter, if any); Total Activities (that qualified when the estimate was saved or applied); Date (saved or last performed).
• Detail: Units (remaining units required to complete the WBS, prior to estimation); Adjustment; Adjusted Units (Oracle: Adjusted Units = Units × Adjustment %). If Function Point was used: UFP, final adjusted function point count, adjustment factor (TDI), and average productivity. That section is blank for Prior Experience.
• Assumptions & Notes: comments recorded for the selected estimate.

This is not Independent ETC (indep_remain_* on PROJWBS). It is not calculated ETC. It is not remaining duration. It is not a spending plan (WBSBUDG) or Original Budget (orig_cost). It is not WBS milestone weight (WBSSTEP.step_wt) and not activity-step weight. See Independent ETC, P6 Remaining Duration vs Percent Complete, Spending Plan, WBS Milestones Are Weighted WBS Checkpoints, Not TASK Milestones, Activity Steps (TASKPROC) — Not Activities, Not MSP Subtasks.

XER

PROJEST (Estimate History). Oracle: this table is available in P6 Professional only.

Stored tokens for est_type and applied_flag are unverified. Do not invent FP / Prior / Y codes. Oracle labeled bu_cmplx_value Size/Complexity and did not publish its UI meaning on the pages cited here. Do not treat adj_mult_pct as TDI; TDI is labeled on fp_cmplx_value.

Related, not this table: PROJWBS.est_wt and TASK.est_wt are labeled Est Weight (P6 Professional only). Those are the estimation weights used when an estimate is applied. They are not the saved history row.

Microsoft Project

Desktop Project has no function-point estimate history and no saved top-down estimate record.

Estimated is a Yes/No task field: whether Duration is flagged as an estimate (a trailing ?). EAC is EV estimate-at-completion. Baseline Estimated Duration is a baseline copy of scheduled duration. None of those is PROJEST.

Do not map PROJEST to Estimated, EAC, or Baseline Estimated Duration. Do not claim MPXJ can write a real MPP.

Don't

• Treat Estimate History as Independent ETC, calculated ETC, remaining duration, spending plan, or Original Budget.
• Treat est_wt, WBS milestone weight, or step weight as the history row.
• Invent est_type or applied_flag tokens, or a Size/Complexity meaning Oracle did not publish.
• Treat adj_mult_pct as TDI (fp_cmplx_value).
• Invent a PROJEST table on an EPPM-only parse, or put Estimate History columns on TASK.
• Map PROJEST to MSP Estimated, EAC, or Baseline Estimated Duration.
• Claim MPXJ writes a real MPP.